Former CIGC patient Sherri C, now living in New York, was struggling with a large fibroid 10 years ago and was looking for minimally invasive treatment options in Maryland. She chose to have a myomectomy procedure for her fibroid removal, to preserve fertility. As fibroids often return after a myomectomy, Sheri struggled with fibroids again 10 years later, when she was living in New York. NY came up short with minimally invasive options for her surgery and Sherri decided to travel back to Maryland for LAAM myomectomy with Paul MacKoul MD. Read Sherri’s story on CIGC’s blog: Traveling For Fibroid Surgery With Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD
At The Center for Innovative GYN Care we have chosen to NEVER use power morcellators in our minimally invasive GYN procedures. CIGC physicians focus on advanced surgical techniques like DualPortGYN and LAAM to provide a safer, less invasive approach to surgery, without the use of power morcellators. These innovative procedures have been successfully applied to thousands of cases for fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic masses, prolapse procedures and cancer.
Power morcellators break down, or “morcellate,” the uterus and fibroids into smaller pieces to allow removal through laparoscopic ports. As the uterus or a fibroid within the uterus may contain a cancer known as a sarcoma, if a sarcoma is present, this approach can potentially spread cancer cells in the pelvic cavity. In July 2015 the FDA held an important meeting to discuss the risks of using power morcellators in GYN surgery and currently discourages their use to remove uterine fibroids and uteri. The truth is, with advanced surgical techniques, power morcellators are not necessary.
Regardless of how early it is caught, the diagnosis “endometrial cancer” is scary. Christine from Altoona PA was diagnosed earlier this year and she knew she needed a hysterectomy. Her regular practice only gave her the option to have an invasive open surgery, with 6 weeks recovery time, which she did not want. Christine had concerns. She felt she was not getting answers to her questions and was not involved in the decision process regarding her GYN procedure.
Christine started to research other options and found out that a minimally invasive procedure was possible at CIGC with DualPortGYN hysterectomy using only two 5mm incisions. The recovery time for this procedure is only 10 days.
Gwen T, fibroids patient at The Center for Innovative GYN Care, had minimally invasive fibroid surgery 4 years ago and feels great speaking about it now. She says she can’t even see where her incisions were and you would never know she had fibroid surgery. Gwen was happy to share her experience with us and talk about how she’s been feeling since.
Back in 2011, Gwen had a fibroid the size of an orange, causing her pelvic pain that she had struggled with for years.
“Every month I would suffer with pain around my menstrual cycle, but it wasn’t in my pelvis. I was getting pain in my hip and my back. There were times I couldn’t get out of bed. At the time I didn’t know what it was, but it was affecting my lifestyle, crippling me.”
Dr. Paul MacKoul performed laparoscopic hysterectomy using DualPortGYN, an innovative surgical technique that uses only two 5mm cosmetically placed incisions. The scars are practically invisible after healing.
“I have no scars. Some women are scared about big scars, but patients considering surgery need to know that I had no drainage, and went home with 2 small bandages. I was back to work in four days. I work as an office manager in a doctor’s office, and it’s light duty, and low stress, so I had no problem returning to work earlier than planned. I’m looking forward to wearing a bikini some day!”
Many women find they have the drive to pursue new activities after recovering from GYN surgery. Following her DualPortGYN hysterectomy, Gwen found the energy to further her education.
“Since my surgery, I was able to get my Masters of Arts Degree and am a licensed Clinical Christian Counselor, with 4 board certifications. I’m pursuing a Ph.D in 2016.”
After minimally invasive GYN surgery at CIGC, many of our patients engage in new activities, travel to places they have always wanted to visit and take more time to spend with their families and loved ones.
CIGC patients have kindly agreed to share stories of their improved lives after minimally invasive GYN surgery. We often see women dealing with pain & discomfort from GYN conditions, who have tried everything and have had multiple failed surgeries before coming to CIGC. After being exposed to robotics and open surgery, the idea that a minimally invasive approach is possible can be eye-opening.
Seeing women like Heidi, Helene, Emily, and Ljubica share their stories with the world can empower other women to ask better questions, and not settle for living a life in pain or unable to conceive.
The Best GYN Surgery With The Fastest Recovery Is A Car, Train or Plane Ride Away
According to the National Institutes of Health, fibroids, endometriosis and other common GYN conditions represent an important health concern due to the large number of women affected. By age 50, between 70% and 80% of American women will develop uterine fibroids, which cause heavy bleeding & pain, and can even lead to infertility or miscarriages. Now more than ever it’s important to do your research and find the best options for your GYN care, so you can live a pain free life and focus on the things you truly love.
At The Center for Innovative GYN Care, minimally invasive GYN surgeons treat women from all around the world, suffering from complex GYN conditions. The CIGC approach is unique as it is focused on innovative surgical techniques, with remarkable outcomes. Patients recover in days vs weeks following minimally invasive procedures that keep incisions as small as possible and cause the least amount of pain. Most surgeries are performed in an outpatient setting, so patients can return home the same day.
SAFER MINIMALLY INVASIVE GYN PROCEDURES IN AN OUTPATIENT SETTING
CIGC fellowship-trained surgical specialists Dr. Natalya Danilyants, MD and Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD have developed groundbreaking minimally invasive GYN procedures like DualPortGYN and LAAM to improve the quality of women’s health. DualPortGYN is the least invasive GYN surgery available worldwide and it is faster, safer, more affordable and more efficient than standard laparoscopic or robotic surgery. DualPortGYN has been successfully applied to thousands of cases for hysterectomy, cancer, endometriosis, pelvic masses, ovarian cysts and prolapse procedures. LAAM is the most minimally invasive and thorough fibroid removal surgery available, with preservation of the uterus. LAAM can be performed on any patient regardless of fibroid size, number, or location.
PATIENTS WHO TRAVEL TO CIGC GET BACK TO THEMSELVES FASTER
Jenny from Wisconsin travelled to CIGC for a safer fibroid surgery. She is a physical therapist assistant to the elderly who struggled with uterine fibroids. Her doctors recommended a hysterectomy and were not willing to perform a minimally invasive procedure. Jenny discovered CIGC online and found out that she had much better options. She traveled to DC to have minimally invasive fibroid surgery and by 3 weeks, felt completely normal and enjoyed getting back to what she loves. Read Jenny’s full story to find out more about her journey.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CIGC TRAVEL PROGRAM
The Center for Innovative GYN Care in the Washington DC area is your destination for minimally invasive GYN surgery. Even if you live outside the DC area, you can still benefit from groundbreaking gynecologic procedures at CIGC through our travel program. We have a lot of patients who travel for our unique advanced surgical techniques and we want to make this experience as seamless as possible. Learn more about the CIGC program for out-of-town patients on our website and give us a call at 888-SURGERY today.
Before minimally invasive techniques, GYN surgery took a huge toll on a woman’s body. Patients expected recovery from gynecologic surgery to take 2 months or longer. As surgical approaches have improved, post-op recovery has been reduced to weeks vs months. At The Center for Innovative GYN Care, surgical specialists have gone even farther, helping patients return to their normal lives in days.
Not all physicians devote time to train in minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques. Many doctors choose to remain in their comfort zone and still perform open surgeries. Finding a surgeon who focuses on minimally invasive GYN procedures is imperative to a better, faster recovery.
CIGC fellowship trained specialists have redefined minimally invasive GYN surgery to 2 small incisions for all procedures. This means patients can often have surgery and go home the same day. They return to their normal lives within days rather than weeks after the procedure. Cancer patients are able to begin additional therapies sooner and with a positive outlook that comes with faster recovery. Choosing highly-trained surgeons who specializes in advanced laparoscopic surgeries can mean relief not only of pain, but of worry.
DualPortGYN is most effective, least invasive GYN surgery available worldwide. Using only 2 cosmetically placed 5mm incisions and a technique called retroperitoneal dissection to completely identify the pelvis, CIGC surgeons can provide better surgical outcomes and faster recovery for most GYN conditions.
LAAM is the most minimally invasive myomectomy and the safest fibroid removal surgery, with preservation of the uterus. It can be performed via 2 small incisions on any patient regardless of fibroid size, number, or location and most are done in an outpatient setting.
Learn as much as you can about the different gynecological procedures available to you, so that when you choose your surgeon, you understand the procedure and recovery times, as well as potential complications. For many patients, knowing that they can get back to their lives faster can change their entire outlook on surgery.
BOOK A CONSULTATION:
We want to make resolving your GYN pain a priority so that you can get back to living your life. Book a consultation with advanced surgical specialists of CIGC to go over your options. You can learn more about us from our former patients who have shared their positive feedback online: Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews | Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews.
We treat women from all around the world, suffering from complex GYN conditions. Even if you are not from the DC area, you can still benefit from groundbreaking procedures at CIGC: learn about our travel program.
If you have suffered from pelvic pain for an extended period of time without knowing the cause, a diagnostic laparoscopy might be indicated. Women who are misdiagnosed can go through several rounds of wrong treatment, costing them time, money and possibly even worse consequences on their overall health.
If a patient has endometriosis, which is the most common cause of chronic pelvic pain, diagnostic tools like ultrasound, CT or MRI may not be able to detect the nature or severity of the condition. A diagnostic laparoscopy allows for a small thin camera to be inserted into the abdomen where the entire pelvis can be inspected and suspicious lesions can be resected for a diagnosis.
MANAGEMENT OF ENDOMETRIOSIS
Endometriosis is a unique GYN condition, hard to manage medically. Management of pain from endometriosis can be done with the help of with analgesics and hormonal suppression, which is used to treat symptoms. This however does nothing to improve fertility, treat adhesions, or resolve endometriomas.
GYN surgery is the most definitive treatment for endometriosis. The diagnostic laparoscopy will be able to determine how far the condition has spread. Surgical management can be done through endometriosis resection (also known as endometriosis excision) to improve symptoms or hysterectomy for the best long-term pain control.
Depending on the severity of the condition and the patient’s desire to preserve fertility, hysterectomy does not have to be the only option. Endometriosis removal is conservative surgery, focusing on removing endometriosis and improving symptoms, while preserving the uterus, tubes and ovaries as much as possible. This approach improves pain, but it does not cure endometriosis.
Hysterectomy with or without removal of the ovaries is for women who do not desire fertility or for women for whom conservative surgery has failed. Performing a hysterectomy will remove the uterus, and can often prevent endometriosis from returning. However, if the endometriosis has spread beyond the immediate pelvic area, or if endometriotic lesions or endometriomas are missed, there is a chance that it will continue to spread.
Endometriosis is a painful and complicated GYN condition. Getting diagnosed early is important and for patients who are found NOT to have endometriosis, the diagnostic laparoscopy may help avoid a long course of medical therapy directed toward the wrong diagnosis.
When dealing with endometriosis, surgical management by fellowship trained minimally invasive GYN surgeons is important to ensure a complete procedure with a full recovery. CIGC endometriosis specialists Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD or Dr. Natalya Danilyants, MD have performed over 20,000 GYN procedures, with remarkable results.
